3 Ways To Keep Your Preschooler From Removing Their Hearing Aids
If your young child has just been fitted with hearing aids, you may find yourself struggling to keep them on. If you're at your wit's end, consider the three tips below to help your child adjust to their hearing aids and keep them on for longer periods of time.
1. Put a Hat On Your Child
This can be the simplest solution for young kids who're constantly pulling off their hearing aids without meaning to.
While some young kids are annoyed by their hearing aids and seek to pull them off at every chance they get, others will do it accidentally during play. A hat can be used to keep your child's fingers away from the hearing aids so that they stay on. Cotton hats are a good option, as they're breathable and light – great for the warmer months. You can also buy hats specifically for hearing aid wearing children, and these hats usually come with strings or straps to keep the hat securely on your child's head and covering their ears.
2. Help Your Child to Associate Sound With the Hearing Aids
If your child has gone without hearing for a few years, the addition of hearing aids to their life can be both exciting and overwhelming. When you help your child to associate sound with hearing aids, however, they may become less annoyed by them and better understand the benefits.
When introducing the use of hearing aids into your child's daily life, it's important to start slowly. Start with 10 – 15 minutes of quiet, calm hearing aid time which can be used to sing silly songs, read a book together, or play with a special toy. After a few successful sessions, increase the time spent wearing hearing aids by 5 or 10 minutes, and continue until your child feels comfortable wearing them for the majority of their day.
3. Allow Your Child to Accessorize
There are so many cool accessories available for young kids to add to their hearing aids. If your child is reluctant to wear their hearing aids because they think they're ugly or it makes them feel different, you have a few options to choose from.
Safety clips are a great option because not only can they be cute, but they can also ensure that if your child's hearing aid falls out of their ear it doesn't fall to the ground and get damaged or lost. These safety clips attach to the hearing aids and clip onto a shirt. Other options include charms and stickers that can be added to your child's hearing aids and changed as often as they'd like.
To learn more tips on getting your preschooler to keep their hearing aids in, consult with your child's audiologist.